QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN

A working paper
to be discussed on June 5, 2010

by

Bidhan Acharya

Associate Professor
Central Department of
Population Studies
Tribhuvan University
Enumerators in Dhanusha in Exercise for Filling in the
Questionnaire of Social Exclusion Survey of CNAS, TU

For a
Training –cum-Workshop
in Research Methodology
Organised by
Centre for Post-graduate Studies
Nepal Engineering College

in Collaboration with

University Grants Commission

Nepal
Sanothimi, Bhaktapur

*****

Pulchok, Lalitpur, Nepal

2-11 June 2010
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. General Background ................................................................................................................... 2
2. Types of Questionnaire ............................................................................................................... 2
2.1: Content of Questions: .......................................................................................................... 3
2.2: Type of Questions ................................................................................................................ 3
Close ended and Open ended ...................................................................................................... 3
Scaling type of questions ............................................................................................................ 4
Matrix type of Questions ............................................................................................................ 6
Ranking type of questions ........................................................................................................... 6
Caution: Rank and Category ....................................................................................................... 7
3: Construct of Questions................................................................................................................ 7
4. Pre-coded questions .................................................................................................................... 7
5. Retrieval of the Events ................................................................................................................ 8
6. Language of the Questions.......................................................................................................... 8
6.1: Eleven ‘No’s in question designing. .................................................................................... 9
1. No question without objective: ............................................................................................... 9
2. No complex language: ............................................................................................................ 9
3. No ambiguous concepts: ......................................................................................................... 9
4. No leading and embarrassing questions (Wording, Leading and threatening): ...................... 9
5. No shorter checklist (Response Set): ...................................................................................... 9
6. No longer questions: ............................................................................................................... 9
7. No 2 in 1: .............................................................................................................................. 10
8. No double negative (Double barrelled): ............................................................................... 10
9. No calculations: .................................................................................................................... 10
10. No longer and vague reference periods: ............................................................................. 10
11. No reference of previous questions: ................................................................................... 10
7. Sequence and Skipping ............................................................................................................. 10
7.1: Funnel and inverted funnel sequence................................................................................. 11
8. Texts, Clarifications and Instructions ....................................................................................... 12
9. Layout of Questionnaire ........................................................................................................... 12
10. Questionnaire Administration ................................................................................................. 13
11. Reliability Instruments ............................................................................................................ 13
Question of Reliability while Questionnaire Designing ........................................................... 13
12. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 14
Suggested Readings ...................................................................................................................... 14

1
 QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
Bidhan Acharya

1. General Background
Most of the social science researches are based on the information provided by the target population
chosen for the analyses. How to determine target or sample population is normally the part of discussion
in sampling design. This paper discusses on the essentials of the questionnaire construction.
Questionnaire design is very crucial and important part of the research, because an inappropriate
questionnaire misleads the research, academics and policymaking. Therefore, a set of adequate and
appropriate questions in a sequential order is required in a questionnaire.

A questionnaire is defined as a document containing questions and other types of items designed to
solicit information appropriate to analysis (Babbie, 1990:377). Questionnaire is equally used in survey
research, experiments and other modes of observation. Indeed, people ask different questions in their
daily life to satisfy their queries. Journalists, market researchers, observers and interested persons in
different events ask a set of questions to others. They form an opinion or conclusion according to the
answers that they receive. The use of the questionnaire or a set of questions is a similar process in the
research. The research questions are firmly constructed to receive answers related to the chosen variables
for analysis.

Social science research is the basic tool to inaugurate, illustrate and predict the human behaviour. The
findings of research contribute to policy making and enhancement of the academics. These findings are
based on the answers collected through different questions asked to the sample population. Naturally,
dubious and inconsistent questions produce ambiguous and inharmonious answers that result in futile
analyses and incoherent outcome of the research.

Therefore, the analyses, outcomes, general conclusions, recommended policy and identified area for
future research all depend on how perfectly the questionnaire is constructed. Thus, questionnaire
construction is the most important part of the research and other information collection activities.

Human behaviour is one of the most unpredictable matters in the world. People with similar social
setting, same level of education and income might be different from each other in terms of average
number of children they have and use and non-use of family planning methods. There are many seen
and unseen issues, which guide the behaviour and differential results are observed. Researchers do need
to collect information on these issues that are related to their studies. Furthermore, the researches need to
collect information on such issues, which are not even discussed in the groups of the people. Even the
husband and wife have not discussed on the topic yet, the researchers do want to know their opinions
that is expected to reflect the couple. Moreover, many issues in the life of a person, couple, household or
society are abstract. They are thought as abstracts and practised as abstracts too. With the help of some
sets of questions, the researchers collect information on these abstract behaviours and quantify collected
information according to their own definitions. The challenge to the researchers is that they have to copy
human behaviour on paper in quantitative terms and analyse them as to reflect what really is happened
in the society. The relevant questions are the only tool to know about human characteristics. Therefore,
survey questionnaires are also termed as structured in through quantifiable information is collected and
analysed.
Types of questionnaire
Structured
2. Types of Questionnaire
Unstructured
There are roughly two types of questionnaires, structured and Quasi-structured
unstructured. A mixture of these both is the quasi-structured
questionnaire that is used mostly in social science research.

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Structured questionnaires include pre-coded questions with well-defined skipping patterns to follow the
sequence of questions. Most of the quantitative data collection operations use structured questionnaires.
Advantages of such structured questionnaires are - less discrepancies, easy to administer, consistency in
answers and easy for the data management.

Unstructured questionnaires include open ended and vague opinion-type questions. Maybe questions
are not in the format of interrogative sentences and moderator or the enumerator has to elaborate the
sense of question. Focus group discussions use such questionnaire.

Not all questions are easily pre-coded with almost possible alternatives of answers. Given answer
alternatives of some questions in standard questionnaire are left as 'others' (please specify). A common
and pragmatic practice is that most of the questions are structured, however, it is comfortable to have
some unstructured questions whose answers are not feasible to enumerate completely. Such a type of
questionnaire is called as quasi-structured questionnaire.

2.1: Content of Questions:

Answers sought
In fact we intend to obtain answers either the facts related to the respondents or Facts
the opinion of the respondents regarding the subjective or even objective past
matters. present
Opinions
past
Consider an example - the question like - Has anyone of age 6 to 14 from your
present
home gone outside for working (as a child labour)? The answer we can presume future
that it will come in the format of either Yes or No.

This is FACTUAL question and the expected answer is dichotomously categorized in Y or N that is
simultaneously also the CLOSE ENDED question. Okay, if we had have asked another subsequent (that
is called as contingency) question; if it is so, is it very common in this community that a boy or girl of age 6 to
14 go out for work for earning? The answer alternatives we have arranged in Likert Scaling format -- as

1. Very Common 2. Somewhat Common, 3. Neither Common Nor Rare, 4. Somewhat Rare and 5. Very Rare.

The answer runs from extreme positive to extreme negative. It is one of the subjective judgements.

Facts are always related to past and present; and opinion could be for all three times - past, present and
future.

Example - fact based question:

C7. Which of these items does your family own in the household? Nos.
C20a Bicycle 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS C20a1 If yes, how many?
C20b Motorcycle 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS C20b1
C20c Car / Jeep 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS C20c1
C20d Tractor/Truck 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS C20d1

Example - Opinion based question

C8. How do you rate the status of your family compared to other families in your neighbourhood in terms of
landholding?

1. Better off, 2. Above than average, 3. Average, 4. Below average, 5. At the bottom stratum,
8. Don’t Know, 9. Not stated

2.2: Type of Questions

Close ended and Open ended
Closed ended and open ended are popular type of questions. Literatures illustrate close ended as
structured and open ended as unstructured ones. Close ended questions have sufficient alternatives to
select or to fit in the information given by the respondent. However, open ended are open for the

3
answers. The verbatim must be recorded in open ended and has problems for the post-coding in data
management. In short, close ended questions are difficult to construct and open ended are difficult to
analyse.

Example: Structured / close ended question

C9. Is your annual cereal/grain production sufficient to feed your family for the whole year?
1. Yes  C9_1 2. No C8 8. DK  C9_1 9. NS C9_1
C10. If not sufficient, for how many months can your cereal/grain production feed your family?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

C9 is FACT based and C10 is OPINION based, but both are structured. If there is answer 1 in C9 the
question c10 would not be asked. Such questions carried by the answer to previous questions are called
as Contingency Questions.

And if we add another question as -

C11. In case of food shortage, how do you manage for survival?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

It is an open ended question. Answers might be several. Maybe one respondent have more than one
answers too. Consider some possible alternatives for answer.
Purchase/borrow food Barter in neighbourhood Eat out in the place of labour Eat out in hotel
Alternative food / bring from the Jungle Seek humanitarian support Seek friends' and relatives' support
Seek government support Others (Specify…………….)

If you know if not cent percent, but majority of the possible alternatives you can manage your question
accordingly so that the data management would be easier later. Collection of information only is not
important, but analysis of that information is very important. Therefore, Pre-TEST of questionnaire is
important. And, if I know the above alternatives I may manage the question as:
C12. In case of food shortage, how do you manage for survival? Please select one answer from each row.
C12a Purchase/borrow food 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS
C12b Barter in neighbourhood 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS
C12c Eat out in the place of labour 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS
C12d Eat out in hotel 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS
C12e Alternative food / bring from the Jungle 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS
C12f Seek humanitarian support 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS
C12g Seek friends' and relatives' support 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS
C12h Seek government support 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS
C12i Others (Specify…………….) 1. Yes 2. No 8. DK 9.NS

The term 'structured' and 'unstructured' is used sometimes for answers and sometimes for the question
itself. If I make a checklist of points to be asked to respondents like: Food  Sufficiency  Management
in Insufficiency, it becomes - unstructured question, because the question wording is not fixed and I may
ask the same question to various respondents differently that may lead differential answer too. If we
consider C12 as one question, the total set is also considered as Multiple Answer type of question. The
information on household facilities as radio, TV, electricity, vehicle etc. is also the multiple answers set
question, in which a respondent can select more than one answer.

While dealing with the types of questions we should not forget the rating and scaling format of
questions. There are three popular formats of rating1 and

Scaling type of questions

Scaling is used to quantify the subjective or responses. The marriage between quantitative and
qualitative methods to substantiate the findings of researches is in practice in contemporary times.

1
Thurstone Scaling (Equal Appearing); Guttmann Scaling (Cumulative); and Likert Scaling (Summative)
4
Scaling methods do support for shaping the open ended type and opinion based answer seeking
questions. Though there is always room for questioning the validity of answers by the respondents, these
methods assist researchers to arrive at some general conclusions regarding those issues that are not
quantifiable.
Scaling is a process of making a kind of composite measure consisting several items that have a
logical or empirical structure among them (Babbie, 379).
The set of categories or range of scores on a variable is called as scale, and the process of assigning
scores to objects to yield the measures of a construct is called scaling (Judd, Smith and Kidder, 146).
Measuring the complex and abstract concepts more accurately is scaling (Kothari, 94).
Scaling is the arrangement of possible opinions of respondents in a coherent order of behaviour or
attitudes, in which a person could judge him/her to be fit in certain standpoint (Bidhan).
Scaling is the branch of measurement that involves the construction of an instrument that associates
qualitative constructs with quantitative metric units. Scaling evolved out of efforts in psychology and
education to measure "unmeasurable" constructs like authoritarianism and self esteem. In many ways,
scaling remains one of the most arcane (mysterious or hidden) and misunderstood aspects of social
research measurement. And, it attempts to do one of the most difficult of research tasks -- measure abstract
concepts.
Please refer to following for extended knowledge on scaling techniques:
Chapter VII: Scaling in Judd, Smith and Kidder (7)(146-170)
Chapter VIII: Index and Scale Construction in Babbie (1)(147-173)
Chapter VI: Measuring Attitudes in Sudman and Bradburn (13)(148-173)
Chapter V: Measurement and Scaling Techniques in Kothari (Rc 11)(94-115)
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/scaling.htm
Though, rating and scaling is dealt separately in research methods, but I did not observe 'scaling' as a
separate topic of discussion in this workshop. And, type of question needs to know scaling too.
Therefore, an elementary knowledge of scaling is included here. Three types of scaling as following are
popular in social research.

1. Thurstone scaling (Equal Appearing): This is simply grouping and arrangement of answers given by
the respondents. In Time Allocation Survey in 1996 in CDPS, we had 1156 types of activities collected by
the respondents from some 18000 households. We grouped them into 99 different categories of work in
the initial two stages; and finally prepared 9 major divisions of those groups. All activities had equal
importance and none of them was to cancel out the other. However, if our intention is to identify the
most income generating activity, we can rank them as poorest as 1 to highly income generating as 9. This
is an example of Thurstone Scaling.

2. Guttmann Scaling (Cumulative): In this method the cumulative nature of current (or expressed)
opinion of respondent includes the previous ones too. For example consider the series of answers below.
I believe that Nepal should allow more Indian immigrants in.
I would be comfortable if a new Indian immigrant moved next door to me.
I would be comfortable with new Indian immigrants moving into my community.
It would be fine with me if new Indian immigrants moved onto my block.
I would be comfortable if my children have Indian immigrants as their friends.
I would permit a child of mine to marry an Indian immigrant (adapted from Trochim).

Every subsequent answer alternative has the idea of previous alternative as an inherent attribute of it.
Therefore, this is cumulative. If the person is not uncomfortable to marry his/her children with an Indian
immigrant, there would be no question of objecting their immigration.

3. Likert Scaling (Summative): It is arrangement of opinions from extreme negative to extreme positive.
Its options are like :

1. Fully Agree, 2. Somewhat Agree, 3. Neither Agree nor Disagree, 4. Somewhat Disagree and 5. Fully Disagree.

5
Researches have found that scaling options arranged in horizontal fashion are more reliable than in
vertical fashion in questionnaire if the respondents are well educated and questionnaire are self
administered.

An Example from CNAS Questionnaire for Social Inclusion Survey is below.

Do you agree with your children or family members (either boys or girls) if they have inter-caste (or cross
cultural) marriage with the following groups?

Somewhat

Somewhat
Comment

Disagree

Disagree
Strongly

Strongly
Agree

Agree

No
Don’t Know Not Stated

P6_1 Hill Brahmin 1 2 3 4 5 8 9

P6_2 Hill Chhetri 1 2 3 4 5 8 9
P6_3 Other Hill Janjati 1 2 3 4 5 8 9
P6_4 Terai origin 1 2 3 4 5 8 9
P6_5 Janjati - Terai Origin 1 2 3 4 5 8 9
P6_6 Hill Dalits - Sarki, Kami, Damai 1 2 3 4 5 8 9
P6_7 Terai Dalits 1 2 3 4 5 8 9
P6_8 Muslims 1 2 3 4 5 8 9
P6_9 Christians 1 2 3 4 5 8 9
P6_10 Any religious people 1 2 3 4 5 8 9
P6_11 Other (specify) …………… 1 2 3 4 5 8 9
Matrix type of Questions
Matrix question provide multiple answers to more than one persons or elements. The Matrix is of, indeed,
not questions but the type of format they are arranged. Sometimes these questions are also called as
Battery Questions. These questions are in the form of tables where mostly the information is titled without
proper sentencing like a question. These can satisfy the need for multiple variable information on many
persons. The major disadvantage of such type of questions is the difficulty in data entry and analysis
process if it is to be merged with respondent's file2. Example of the household roster is best fit to the
battery questions. A careful explanation is required in analytical phase.

Example of Matrix format or Battery Questions

B10. Occupation
B5. Relation to

B9. Education

B11: Monthly
B6.Ethnicity

B7. Religion

B12: Survey
B8. Literacy
(Optional)

HH head
B2.Name

B4. Age

Income
B3. Sex
B1. SN

Status

01
02
03
04
05
Ranking type of questions
Ranking is also the best fitting information of respondent for lowest to highest categorised variables of
research. These are in fact the qualitative type of judgement but quantified in numbers. For example - If I
ask you a question -

How do you score to Current government's performance? Give your score in Full marks 10. ……………..

2
Please discuss on this issue in much greater detail in Data Management session with Dr. Kabita Bade Shrestha
6
Now your answer can be ranked from 0 to 10. In most of the ranking the scores in between lower and
upper limits can be left un-labelled.

Caution: Rank and Category

Many researches do categorise the interval scale variables prior to data collection. Such efforts generally
rank the variables.

For example – If I ask you to select one appropriate answer that best fits your income and give
alternative as 1. Rs. 5,000 to 9,999 ; 2. 10,000 to 14,999; 3. 15,000 to 19,999; 4. 20,000 to 24,999 and 5. 25,000
and above – the income is ranked. However, consider a precaution that such ranking are very harmful if
done with interval scale variables as age, income, number of times of
visit (eg ANC/PNC) or number of years of schooling. In above
No Categories in the phase
example, the income level as 19550 =3, and 10340=2; and also 15000=3,
of questionnaire design for
and 14950=2. If you need to run statistical tools as Correlation and
variables in Interval Scale
Regression you should NOT group the answer alternatives in the
level of questionnaire design. That will completely mislead the
phenomena. Grouping should be done only in data analysis phase. Advantage of ranking is researcher
can interpret as the problem is set and designed to analyse, and demerit is that it overlaps one answer to
another, messes-up the answers and there exists always possibility of colliding of two ranks together.

3: Construct of Questions
The design of questionnaire should be consistent to the expected analysis of the data. The objectives and
hypotheses (in quantitative) and/or the research questions (in qualitative) guide the methodology and
plan for the analysis of data. Therefore, the objectives and/or hypotheses of research determine how a
questionnaire should be organised and what items (constructs/correlates/variables - in the form of
questions) should be included. Therefore, the conceptualisation process of research is important. Let me
tell you that the observation (information) or intuition is important to generate a research. Then you have
a big question to your mind - why it happens to some situations and why not to others? Researchers are
the rational people and they want to study the differences and reasons as well as the consequences.
Researches have noble ideas of recommending policy Before constructing a questionnaire
options for mitigating gaps in most of the social Have clear Objectives and Hypotheses
research. Thus the observation (problem) follows a Have a listing of selected variables and items
path via objective, literature survey; identification of Have section breaks of topics
variables; conceptual framework; hypotheses /
research questions; methods, analysis, conclusion and lastly to recommendation. It's a journey from
dissatisfaction of researcher to satisfaction by recommending the solutions or finding of new relations
between or among variables.

An initial collection of coherent items or variables related to the objectives and hypotheses is always
beneficial. Therefore, a listing of variables before questionnaire design is suggested. Such a listing helps
identify the important dimensions of the domain of interest. The arrangement of variables in a sequential
manner from origin to destination is conceptual framework. The questionnaire design must include all
variables appear in conceptual framework and variables identified.

Also, the questionnaire designers are required to be familiar with the vocabulary of respondents.
Understanding of the vocabulary of target population makes questions simple and easily answerable.
Furthermore, a questionnaire might contain items related to more than one general topic. The topics of
questionnaire are if specifically categorised into sections that makes questionnaire more practical and
easy to administration.

Use pre-coded answer alternatives in

4. Pre-coded questions
quantitative researches
Questionnaire for quantitative studies should be ready Pre-coded questionnaire minimizes the cost
to standardised interviewing. Standardised interviewing is of data management

7
the administration of questions by professional interviewers who are not experts in the subject matter.
All questions, answers, skipping patterns, information and directions to the interviewer should be clearly
scripted in the defined order. Probe questions should have clear direction on when to probe with which
syntax.

Obviously, close-ended questions with defined answers are encouraged. Close-ended questions are
accommodating in data management. However, close-ended questions sometimes create problems
especially in behavioural research, if questionnaire is not adequately pre-tested in the homogeneous
group of sample population.

Open-ended questions may receive various responses. These responses require categorisation and post-
coding before they are entered into microcomputer. Post-coding is tedious and seeks high level
personnel that are familiar with entire research. Therefore, open ended questions and post-coding is not
favoured in contemporary quantitative researches.

Some qualitative research methods prefer open-ended questions. Open-ended questions provide more
freedom to the interviewers as well as respondents. What exactly the respondent is feeling and what
exact language (verbatim) is the response is sometimes very important in anthropological in-depth
research. However, the further analyses of qualitative information need high level human resource with
much time and resources.
Retrieval of the events by
5. Retrieval of the Events respondents
Top-down
The respondents have to retrieve the answers to the posed questions
Sequential and
from their memory. This retrieval system has three dimensions. First is
Parallel
the top-down retrieval in which the questions are designed from general
to more specific information. For example a research regarding the knowledge on the modes of
transmission of HIV/AIDS is conducted. Though the objective of the research is to know whether the
people at risk know about the different ways of transmission, the questions should not begin with "Do
you know the modes of transmissions of HIV/AIDS ". It should rather start from the 'heard' about HIV.

Second, the sequential retrieval refers to logical sequencing of the General rules of question crafting
events within the theme. In this method the reverse chronological Clear objective
order might serve better. Theoretically, the most recent event is Simple language
assumed as to serve as reminder of the previous event. Questions Clear concepts
should be asked on the recent event first, than immediate past and Without bias
previous events sequentially. For example in the above research - Adequate answer options
Shorter questions
"When did you have a recent meet with a prostitute" might serve as a
Single question at a time
reminder of "Had you met her before this too".
Affirmative sentences
Mathematics not imposed
The reverse chronological ordering is important especially for the Short/clear reference periods
questions regarding birth history information in demographic Avoid question reference
researches and job history information in employment researches.

Finally, parallel retrieval reflects the environmental structure that governs the life-course of the persons.
Many events happen at the same period in the life of persons. If a period is referred, some other parallel
events at that period are easy to retrieve for the respondents. Considering the exemplary research the
response of Had you visited abroad, Where, When did you visit Bangkok last time, Did you visit to commercial sex
worker there, types of question should be sequentially arranged.

6. Language of the Questions

The language used in the questionnaire is the most important part of the questionnaire construction. The
respondents should feel comfortable with the language used in the questionnaire. Questionnaire
language should be non-threatening to the respondents. The investigator(s) should be familiar with the

8
vocabulary of respondents. Not only in qualitative but also in quantitative researches it is suggested that
before pre-testing a team of investigators visit to the sample area and understand their subjects.

Some rules of questionnaire crafting are presented as following. The question designers should be aware
of 'what should not be done' while designing questions.

6.1: Eleven ‘No’s in question designing.

1. No question without objective:
Each question should have objective. Question without objective should be avoided. Example: Proposed
research is to assess the knowledge of respondents on sexually transmitted diseases. If the proposed
analytical framework has no consideration of the educational (by discipline) background of respondent it
is futile to ask: “Which subject did you study at university before you joined the recent job?”

2. No complex language:
The language of the questionnaire should not be complicated to understand. The vocabulary of the
respondents should be used in the questionnaire. Simple language is preferred. Use of rhetorical and
elite language creates problems while the questionnaire is administered. Example: Did you realise the
complexities of life in a different way by the behaviour of your spouse when you were tested positive with
HIV/AIDS? Instead, the questions like Do your spouse knows about your HIV positive? (If Yes, Do you find a
change in his/her behave? If Yes, What kind of?

3. No ambiguous concepts:
Ambiguous concepts should not be incorporated in the questions. Example: What is your opinion about
some medical researches that pledge for the high prevalence of transmission of HIV among elite group of Nepal after
restoration of multiparty system? This question has three major elements as medical research, HIV
transmission and restoration of multiparty democracy. Elite group and high prevalence are other minor
elements. Respondent would not be able to correctly form his/her opinion.

4. No leading and embarrassing questions (Wording, Leading and threatening):

Leading and embarrassing questions should be rephrased. People feel offensive to answer these
questions. Such questions also lead towards the biased answers; therefore, these are to be avoided.
Example: Don’t you agree that the persons with HIV positive have also rights to marry? Or suppose, you are
suffering from HIV positive, should not you have the rights to marry? Such types of questions insist
respondent to provide answers that match the positive or negative tone of the question itself (Yes).

5. No shorter checklist (Response Set):

The answer alternatives should be adequate. To avoid the biases in the stress and pronunciation of
interviewer show cards for the literate respondents would be desirable. Example: What was your age when
you got married? Options: a. Less than 20 b. 20 or more. Instead of these two options leave such questions
open-ended, because the answer is definite that comes in one or two integers. Or, if the question is like
‘What was your occupation when you were detected with HIV positive?’ Do not leave the answers with too few
options like a. agriculture, b. service. Instead, a long list of possible occupations serves well.

The questions should not be designed in such a way that more than one option is merged together at the
stage of data collection. Such merge of answer options causes for loosing real value of data. Many times,
such previously categorised data set does not permit you to run some statistical analyses. Consider the
example of educational attainment. Normally it is not suggested to categorise educational attainment at
the stage of questionnaire design as 1. Illiterate, 2. Primary, 3. High School, 4. SLC/Intermediate, Plus
two, and 5. Bachelor and above. However, the categories must made later by observing the frequencies
while at data analysis stage.

6. No longer questions:
Every question should be short and preferably in only one sentence that match with the cognitive
capacity of the respondent. However, some longer statements could also be given to provide cues to the

9
respondents. For example, the methods used intentionally by a couple to avert the birth of child in the
future are known as family planning methods. Such methods are natural, mechanical, surgical and
chemical in nature. Had you or your spouse ever used one of such methods with an intention to avert the birth of a
child? The question and preceding statement are relatively longer but the statement clarifies the answer
sought by the forthcoming question. Such cue statements and questions are permitted in a questionnaire.
Nevertheless, the questions like "When you first moved from your house to the place of destination and you had
an additional baby born, and what was the difference between your income of place of origin and of the place of
destination" type of questions should be avoided.

7. No 2 in 1:
Merging of two questions into one should be completely avoided. Such merging often confuses the
respondent and according to the cognitive capacity some respondents serve answers to the latter and
some to the former. No all respondents provide answers to the both parts. Example: When did you visit to
your spouse and how many nights did you spend there? There are clearly 2 questions and they are to be
segregated.

8. No double negative (Double barrelled):

Double negatives must be avoided in the language of question. Double negative gives positive meaning
but sounds like negation to the statement. It also creates confusion to the interviewers and respondents.
Example: "Do not you want to move from this place not to expose yourself?" Instead, "Do you want to move from
this place to hide yourself?" would be better.

9. No calculations:
As far as possible, avoid all calculation seeking questions. Respondents do hesitate to calculate and there
is always possibility of receiving wrong answers. Respondents who can not calculate also give wrong
answers to hide their ignorance and who can, they also have a tendency of wrong calculation to exhibit
their confidence in calculations. Example: What per cent of your income is spent for the health care per month?
Instead, use "What is your monthly income?" as a preceding question of "How much did you spend in your
health care last month?" and calculation should be performed in data processing and analyses phase. Do
not give strains to the respondents.

10. No longer and vague reference periods:

Reference periods should be clear and preferably shorter. Longer reference period causes recall lapse
errors. These errors mislead the research. For example, after the year of greater earthquake or in these ten
years how many times did you visit to health post for antenatal check-ups? Instead " How many times did you
visit to health post for check-up during the period of your last pregnancy (or three months)?

11. No reference of previous questions:

It is extremely not suggested to ask the questions like "As I asked in Question number 12 above about ….. ". If
reference or cue of previous questions is required recall (or look at) the answer of respondents by stating
full question and answer to continue the further interview. Instead "You said that you had used a method of
family planning, could you please mention that method" would be better. But the preferred way is to maintain
a very good skipping pattern to have a sequence of questionnaire administration.

7. Sequence and Skipping

The questions should be started with very simple and general questions to specific ones. To establish a
better rapport with the respondents, place non-controversial and common types of questions in the
beginning. A beginning with household and non-behavioural information is pragmatic.

Most of the life course events are age specific. Chronological follow of events either in ascending or
descending order sets a sequence. Identify the origin of event, causes, reactions and consequences
respectively. Some times which one of the event should be considered first creates problem. For example
in urban areas the age at menstruation might be asked to a woman before the question on age at

10
marriage and age at cohabitation; because menstruation normally occurs before marriage and
cohabitation in hill and mountains. Same event in Terai may have different dimension. If a girl is married
before menstruation, but she cohabited with her husband after menstruation (gauna), in this case, the age
at marriage is less important than the age at cohabitation for fertility analysis. The questionnaire
formulators should be familiar with such situations and manage their questions accordingly.

Flow chart example to identify skipping patterns

Simple example

Question objective: General information on marriage, CEB and Contraception

Yes Age at marriage Number of children Use of F/P

Marriage
No Skipped Skipped Skipped

Slightly complex example:

Question objective: know the cost of treatment for side effects of contraception among married women.

Pregnant

Using F/P methods

S
Yes No
k
Skipped
Yes No i
Skipped p
Yes Treatment p
Side effects e
d
No Yes No

Skipped Cost bearing of treatment

Skipped
Cost in Rs. Yes No
If an option is answered in previous question what should not be asked in subsequent questions is
skipping. A flow chart can help to identify the skipping patterns in a questionnaire. If a head of the
household tells you that he owns no latrine in his household it is futile to ask about the type of latrine.
That question should be skipped for him/her.

7.1: Funnel and inverted funnel sequence

Funnel sequence are used to obtain specified information starting
from the general one and inverted funned start from the recent the
micro event back to the generalised situations. Suppose, among you
some of the participants are interested to know how much money is
spent by the persons in late night dance restaurants and bars in the
Kamalpokhari area of Kathmandu. The situation 'A' starts from
generalised themes like, where do you live, why do you come to
Kathmandu, where do you work, how much do you earn, and now how much do you spend for the
dance bars? That is funnel type question from very general to specific one. The counter-model uses rather
opposite method that asks how much have you spent tonight and goes back in sequence to where from

11
have you come to Kathmandu. If the respondent is supposed to remember gradually the information the
upside down funnel method is appropriate, and if the respondent has to gradually evolve the
information and has to reach to some climax normal funnel as in A is important.

8. Texts, Clarifications and Instructions

A questionnaire also contains items other than questions. These are information regarding selected
sampling unit, statements to clarify the objective of questions and directions to the
supervisor/interviewer either to follow the skipping patterns or do calculations or probe the contents.

It is not practical to have large data files in computer. Therefore, different sections of questionnaire are
usually entered as separate data files. The MEBDC (Migration, Employment, Birth, Death and
Contraception) Survey conducted by the Central Department of Population Studies, Tribhuvan
University; DHS 2006, 2001 by New Era are examples of larger surveys in Nepal. Each section and sub
section of the questionnaire consists of identification numbers as district, cluster, household and
individual ID on the top of the section. This information serve as "merging/matching variables" when
there will be a need to extract information from another section3.

9. Layout of Questionnaire
The layout of questionnaire depends on the mode of administration. Developed countries also use self-
administered questionnaires. A respondent is expected to fill in the questionnaire without assistance of
others in such self-administered questionnaires. Therefore, self-administered questionnaire should be
attractive and printed in a very clear manner of directions and skipping patterns. Professional
interviewers handle telephone survey4 questionnaire; therefore ordinary lay out can also serve well in
such cases.

Sudman and Bradburn (1982:230) have a number of suggestions to make a questionnaire handy and
attractive. The trained interviewers administer most of the questionnaires in survey in developing
countries. For the easiness of transportation and handling each questionnaire should be printed in
quality paper and firmly stitched.

The name of survey conducting organisation and title of the survey should appear on the first page (and
if possible, in short in each page) of questionnaire. The name of interviewer, date and time of interview
are also to be included in this page.

Section breaks are important to segregate the broader topics. From beginning to the end without section
breaks confuses the enumerator and respondent. It is always better to use different colour papers for
different sections of questionnaire. It is easy to check consistency even in the sections. Questions should
not be printed in crowd. There must be sufficient space for comfort. Font type should be large and clear
enough.

Characters are less easy in data entry and processing. So, each question and answer options should be
numbered. Sub-questions are to be printed differently than main questions to distinguish them. A single
question should never be parted into two different pages. If not so, the interviewers and respondents
might think that the question is completed at the end of earlier page.

The answer format should be vertical for individual questions, but if the answers are in scales the answer
options should be presented in horizontal fashion. Answer options should be pre-coded, but if there is
possibility of answer options other than coded, there must be the option as 'others' with sufficient space
to write.

3Refer to Data Management session of this seminar

4Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) is popular in some commercial surveys, in developed countries.
In these surveys the interviewer directly inputs the data in computer as obtained answers by respondents on phone.

12
The length of questionnaire is always a debatable topic. However, the length of a questionnaire depends
upon the research topic and information required. Nevertheless, the questionnaire that is administered in
less than half an hour is normally considered as comfortable for both interviewers and respondents.

10. Questionnaire Administration

Prepared questionnaire should be pre-tested to check the vocabulary, consistency and ambiguity. Pre-
test provides basis for amendment of questionnaire. No matter how better is the questionnaire, if the
administration is performed in no normal environment the results are certainly affected. In haste, within
a little time and in the situation of mental tension of either party (interviewer or respondent) the
information may be biased.

Some interviewers give stress in some of the questions and read lousily the other questions that are not
the topic of interest for them. That eventually harms the quality of data.

11. Reliability Instruments

Reliability5 is the simply the occurrence of events. If we have asked the question that how the people
manage the waste produced at home, and the group of illiterate respondents have replied that almost half of
time they leave the waste at the streets in open, and if it is the true case some months or years the
'question as an instrument' with its answer alternatives is reliable. Not all instruments in questionnaire
are always reliable. And it is not necessary that only reliable tools are used in a research, it depends upon
the objective of research. In time series longitudinal surveys behavioural change type questions are asked
even if they are fount not reliable over the time.

Golafshani defined the reliability as the extent to which results are consistent over time and an accurate
representation of the total population under study is referred to as reliability and if the results of a study
can be reproduced under a similar methodology, then the research instrument is considered to be
reliable (Golafsani, 2003:1).
Figure 1: Reliability and Validity - Trochim Files
Trochim (2006) has depicted
A B C D
reliability and validity in
illustrations. Figure 'A' is
representing Reliable Not
Valid; the occurrence of event
is there for sure. Consider
above example and suppose
that out of the 10 clusters we
selected, people in one cluster
deposited their waste on
streets unattended. The one
tenth do the same is reliable,
but for generalising the conclusions, it's not considered as a valid one. Figure 'B' is scattered, that means
the same 10 percent in all clusters do the same; therefore, it has no reliability but the information is valid.
Figure 'C' represents that the behaviour is distributed arbitrarily and in half of the clusters only with no
reliability and no validity. Figure 'D' showed both Reliability of occurrence and validity of association.

Question of Reliability while Questionnaire Designing

There are both types of arguments that the phase of questionnaire design should be or should not be
worried about the reliability of instruments. The reliability could be measured only after the data
collection and questionnaire design has nothing to do with it is one kind of version. However, the pre-

5
Validity very often comes with reliability; 'Validity' is the association between / among variables. In this case if in
all clusters the illiterate people use to throw their wastages in all clusters the information is valid. There is the
association between Literacy and Waste Management.
13
test is important and some observation of reliability of the measures must be done prior to finalising the
questionnaire is another pragmatic observation. The ultimate objective of questionnaire is to make a
research success in policy formulation. If in a 'pre-test' cent percent of respondents were found with
depositing the waste in container, maybe this question is also futile.

12. Conclusion
A bad questionnaire, a bad administration of good questionnaire, a bad coverage of samples with good
questionnaire and good administration all cause for less valid data. Questionnaire construction is one of
the initial activities that are critical for a pragmatic social science research. If the questionnaire is far from
the reality, it will collect a gamut of garbage information. A misled information produces misleading
conclusion and futile recommendations. Thus the efficiency of research entirely depends upon the
excellence of questionnaire. Take adequate time, if necessary have a series of pre-tests and finalise the
questionnaire. A perfect questionnaire is considered as half job is completed.

This is not references cited, but just a list of some publications that contain important information on survey
research methods and questionnaire design.

Suggested Readings
Babbie, Earl, 1990. Survey Research Methods, Second Edition. California: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Campbell, J. Gabriel, Ramesh Shrestha and Linda Stone, 1979. The Use and Misuse of Social Science Research
in Nepa.l Kathmandu: Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies, Tribhuvan University.
Judd, Charles M., Eliot R. Smith and Louise H. Kidder, 1991. Research Methods in Social Relations, Sixth
edition. Florida: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
Lucas, David (Ed.), 1985. Asking Demographic Questions, Demography Teaching Notes V. Canberra:
Australian National University.
Sudman, Seymour and Norman M. Bradburn, 1982. Asking Questions: A Practical Guide to Questionnaire
Design. (San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Weller, Susan C. and A. Kimball Romney, 1988. Systematic Data Collection (Newbury Park: Sage
Publications.
Golafsani, Nahid, 2003. "Understanding Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research" in The
Qualitative Report, Vol. 8 No. 4. Website - http://ace.upm.edu.my/~lateef/Handouts%20-
%20dce%205920/golafshani%20-
%20reliability%20and%20validity%20in%20qual%20research.pdf
Trochim, William M K, 2006. Social Research Methods, Knowledge Base. Website -
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/index.php
http://www.analytictech.com/mb313/principl.htm
http://www.statpac.com/surveys/questionnaire-design.htm
ttp://www.socialresearchmethods.net/tutorial/Colosi/lcolosi2.htm

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 Pokhara University Affiliated Q_16. How many of your family members are
Nepal Engineering College associated with in any of the NGOs?
Centre for Post-graduate Studies Men ……….. Women ……
Pulchok, Lalitpur Nepal Q_17. How many of your family members are
Research Methods Workshop associated with in any of the following
Questionnaire for Participants' Survey agencies?
The questions and answers in this questionnaire will be Agency M F
treated confidentially. They will not be used other than a. School Management ….. ….
research purposes. b. Forest Users' Group ….. ….
c. Road Users' Group ….. ….
Mark a circle (ex:  ) to numbers fitting the answer .
d. Mothers' Group ….. ….
A. GENERAL
e. Small Credit Group ….. ….
Q_1. Name (Optional) ………………… c f. Vegetable Growers' Group ….. ….
d g. Others …………… ….. ….
Q_2. Completed Age ……….. D. WASTE MANAGEMENT
Q_3. Sex: 1. Male, 2. Female 3. Transsexual Q_18. How the people in your neighbourhood
Q_4. What is your Ethnicity?: manage their daily wastage?
1. Khas (Hill) (Bahun. Chhetri, Sanyasi);
1. Dispose in their own yard/field  Q21
2. Janjati /Aadibasi (Hill)
2. Leave on the street  Q22
3. High Caste Tarai (Tarai Brahman, Bhumihar), Rajput
4. Other Tarai Caste (Yadav. Ahir, and Baniya); 3. Deposit in Container nearby  Q20
5. Hill Dalits; 6. Tarai Dalits; 7. Tarai Janjati 4. Collectors collect and dispose Q19
8. Muslims 9. Others ( Specify………………………) 5. Bio-degradable are disposed within compound and
Q_5. Religion : others left on the streets
1. Hindu, 2. Bouddha; 3. Kiranti; 6. Others (Specify …………………..)
4. Islam; 5. Christians; 6. Jain; Q_19. At what time the collectors come?
7. Shikh 8. Others ( Specify………………)
AM/PM …………… Q22
Q_6. Place of Birth:
Q_20. How often does the municipality change
1. Urban 2. Semi-urban 3. Rural
Q_7. Development Region of Birth Place. the container? Q22
1. EDR, 2. CDR; 3. WDR; 4. MWDR 5. FWDR 1. Daily 2. In two/three days 3. Once in a week
4. Fortnightly 5. Once in a month 6. Never 8 DK 9 NS
Q_8. Ecological Belt of Birth Place
1. Mountain 2. Hills 3. Tarai Q_21. Do you produce some sort of compost
Q_9. What is your marital Status? fertiliser out of the waste disposed within
1. Unmarried (Single/ Never Married) Q11 homestead premises? 1. Y 2 N 8 DK 9 NS
2. Married and living with spouse Q_22. Do you know that the metallic and
3. Married but not started to live with spouse
4. Separated
plastics wastes could be recycled and
5. Divorced reused? 1. Y 2 N 8 DK 9 NS
6. Widowed Q_23. Do you agree to sell non-biodegradable
7. Other's (Specify) …………………………..
items in a community centre?
Q_10. How many persons live together in the 1. Y 2 N 8 DK 9 NS
house you are living now? ……...
B. ECONOMIC Q_24. Are you interested to join a cooperative
Q_11. What is your Occupation? for recycle and reuse of non-
……………………………….. biodegradable item in the community?
1. Y 2 N 8 DK 9 NS
Q_12. What is your monthly income?
Rs ……………………..
Statement: There is a good market for the cramps
Q_13. What amenities are available at your (kabadi) of non-biodegradable items. A factory of
home? Plastics is in the process of being established.
a. Landline telephone 1 Yes, 2 No, 8 DK, 9 NS
Q_25. How much are you interested to invest in
b. Cell phone with you 1 Yes, 2 No, 8 DK, 9 NS
c. Motorcycle 1 Yes, 2 No, 8 DK, 9 NS
that factory of recyclable and reusable
d. Computer 1 Yes, 2 No, 8 DK, 9 NS materials?
e. Refrigerator 1 Yes, 2 No, 8 DK, 9 NS 1. Fully Interested 2. Somewhat Interested
f. Four + wheeler 1 Yes, 2 No, 8 DK, 9 NS 3. Indifferent 4. Somewhat not Interested
g. Washing Machine 1 Yes, 2 No, 8 DK, 9 NS 5. Not Interested at All

C. PARTICIPATORY
Q_14. How many of your family members are Thank you for your cooperation!
associated with in any of the political
organisations? Men ……….. Women ……
Q_15. How many of your family members are
associated with in any of the social
organisations? Men ……….. Women ……

15